Sideshow Bob

Sideshow Bob
The Simpsons character
First appearance"The Telltale Head" (1990)
Created byAl Jean
Mike Reiss
Sam Simon
Matt Groening
Jay Kogen
Wallace Wolodarsky
Brad Bird
Designed byMatt Groening
Voiced byKelsey Grammer
In-universe information
Full nameRobert Underdunk Terwilliger Jr.[a]
GenderMale
OccupationTelevision personality
Former Mayor of Springfield
Former Mayor of Salsiccia
Scientist
Professor
Actor
Criminal
FamilyDr. Robert Terwilliger Sr. (father)
Dame Judith Onderdonk (mother)
Cecil Terwilliger (brother)
SpouseSelma Bouvier (ex-wife)
Francesca (ex-wife)
Tasha (wife)
ChildrenGino (son)
RelativesPatty Bouvier (ex-sister-in-law)
Marge Simpson (ex-sister-in-law)
Homer Simpson (ex-brother-in-law)
Bart Simpson (ex-nephew)
Lisa Simpson (ex-niece)
Maggie Simpson (ex-niece)

Robert Underdunk Terwilliger Jr., PhD,[a][5] better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale University and a champion of high culture, including the adoption of a transatlantic accent, similar to that of Grammer's portrayal of Dr. Frasier Crane from the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier. He began his career as a sidekick on Krusty the Clown's television show, but after enduring constant abuse, Bob framed his employer for armed robbery in "Krusty Gets Busted", only to be foiled by Bart Simpson, and sent to prison. Bob started seeking revenge against Bart while in prison, and the two became feuding arch-enemies.

Bob made his second major appearance in season three's "Black Widower"; the writers echoed the premise of Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner by having Bob unexpectedly insert himself into Bart's life, threatening to disrupt and end it through murder. Starting with that appearance and thereafter, Bob has assumed the role on The Simpsons of an evil genius. Episodes in which he is a central character typically involve Sideshow Bob being released from prison and executing an elaborate revenge plan, usually foiled by Bart and Lisa. His plans often involve death and destruction, usually targeted at Bart or, less often, Krusty, though he starts targeting the entire Simpson family in season 17. In season 27, however, during the first segment of "Treehouse of Horror XXVI", entitled "Wanted: Dead, Then Alive", Bob finally gets his wish of killing Bart, commenting that he spent 24 years trying to kill a ten-year-old child; however, he becomes bored with Bart dead, so he brings him back to life so that he can repeatedly kill Bart over and over again.[6][7][8]

Despite his villainous deeds, Sideshow Bob shares some personality traits of Grammer's character Frasier Crane, and he has been described as "Frasier pickled in arsenic".[9] Several parallels have been explicitly drawn in The Simpsons between Bob and Frasier Crane—Bob's brother Cecil and his father were played by David Hyde Pierce and John Mahoney, respectively, echoing the roles they played in Frasier. Grammer, who based Bob's voice on that of actor Ellis Rabb, has been praised for his portrayals of the character. In 2006, he won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for his work in the episode "The Italian Bob".

As of season 35, Sideshow Bob has appeared in more than 40 episodes, had speaking appearances in 24 of these, and been featured as the main character in 14. The most recent of the latter, "Bobby, It's Cold Outside", aired during the 31st season, and his most recent speaking appearance was in "Treehouse of Horror XXXIV" in the 35th season.[10] In addition to his recurring role in the series, Sideshow Bob has made several appearances in other Simpsons media and is mentioned in several more episodes. He appears in the Simpsons Comics, the 2007 video game The Simpsons Game, and stars as the main antagonist in The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios' theme parks. A lover of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, Sideshow Bob is also known for his singing voice; several of Grammer's performances have been included in The Simpsons musical compilations.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ Oakley, Bill [@thatbilloakley] (March 13, 2024). "Yes @Jeopardy you made a rare mistake. It's "Onderdonk". And @Joshstrangehill and I are certain cause we wrote that script. Cc: @KenJennings" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ Oakley, Bill [@thatbilloakley] (March 13, 2024). "This is where we got the name, it was from a hymnal we saw in high school -" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ Groening 2010, pp. 207, 1183, 1193.
  4. ^ "Sideshow Bob Roberts". The Simpsons. Season 6. Episode 5. October 9, 1994. Event occurs at 6:27. Fox.
  5. ^ "The Man Who Grew Too Much". The Simpsons. Season 25. Episode 12. Event occurs at 7:20. Dr. Sideshow Bob. [...] PhD.
  6. ^ Hibberd, James (June 6, 2015). "The Simpsons scoop: Sideshow Bob to finally kill Bart this fall". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  7. ^ Nicholson, Max (July 11, 2015). "Comic-Con 2015: The Simpsons Panel Teases New "Treehouse of Horror"". IGN. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  8. ^ Snierson, Dan (October 8, 2015). "Simpsons' 'Treehouse of Horror XXVI': First Look and details on Sideshow Bob killing Bart and more". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Arsenic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Price, Michael [@mikepriceinla] (October 16, 2022). "@WonderedAlways Yes but I can't tell you when or what!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2023 – via Twitter.